


The Ex Files

by BloodyCreaturePosterGirl



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Dean Winchester - Freeform, F/M, Protective Dean Winchester, Reader-Insert, Tumblr Prompt, mentions of abuse, mentions of cheating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-18
Updated: 2016-06-18
Packaged: 2018-07-15 21:00:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7238320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BloodyCreaturePosterGirl/pseuds/BloodyCreaturePosterGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Imagine getting a call from your ex who needs help and agreeing to take the case. Dean isn’t the best at hiding how he feels when he meets your ex…” + “Imagine Dean watching as your ex says something completely out of line to you, and you respond by punching him square in the face. Later on when you’re curled up with Dean, you apologize for making a scene, but he frowns and mutters “I would have hit him harder.” first prompt from supernaturalfreewill.tumblr</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Ex Files

**Author's Note:**

> There are mentions of cheating, abuse, rape, and not to mention a total psycho. Fair warning.

Y/N stared at her phone unsure of what to think. She had just gotten off the phone with her ex who, for a reason she couldn’t fathom, still had her number. Dean, who was sitting across the table from her in the library, stared at her with a raised eyebrow, silently asking what that had been about. She wasn’t entirely sure herself, she hadn’t heard from her ex in three years, since they had gotten into a fight that she didn’t wish to think about. Her ex was a pigheaded egotistical asshat, end of story.  
“I… guess I’m going back home,” Y/N said slowly, her eyes meeting Dean’s across the table.  
“Who was it?” Dean asked.  
“My… uh… my ex,” Y/N cleared her throat, “he needs my help.”  
“He needs your help?” Dean asked with a frown.  
“His current girlfriend was kidnapped about a month ago.”  
“I don’t see how that warrants calling you up. You’re a hunter not a cop. Isn’t this the guy who—”  
“Yes,” she cut Dean off. “But he didn’t call me because she went missing. He called because she’s been haunting him and she’s getting violent.”  
“I don’t blame her. You shouldn’t go.”  
“Dean,” Y/N warned. “I already told Nolan I would come out. Besides, Sarah was once my friend. No matter what she did, I would never wish ill intent on her, and I can’t stand the thought that she isn’t at rest.”  
“You’re too nice,” Dean grumbled, slouching back in his chair with a sigh.  
Y/N smiled affectionately at the elder Winchester. “Not all hunters are unforgiving hard-asses.”  
“You owe them no kindness either,” Dean pointed out.  
“No,” she agreed. “But I still agreed to help.”  
“Then I’m going with you,” Dean declared. “I can’t in good conscious allow you to go back alone.”  
Y/N made to protest but Dean was already striding out of the library to pack his things and tell Sam that they would be heading out on a case. Y/N shook her head as she watched the elder Winchester leave, feeling nothing but affection for him. She had known the brothers for many years and they had unquestioningly taken her in after she caught Nolan and Sarah together… on their anniversary. Nolan had been furious with her, with her for having caught him cheating, and then when she told him she was leaving, he’d hit her. Her fingers absently ghosted over her cheek as she remembered the pleasure on Nolan’s face when he’d hit her, sending her tumbling to the floor.  
Somehow, she had been able to keep the fact that Nolan had hit her from Dean and Sam. She knew they would have gone after him otherwise. The Winchesters were protective of her and most likely would have killed Nolan for even letting the thought cross his mind.  
A day and a half later Dean pulled the Impala up in front of the small green house that Y/N once called home. All of the blinds were pulled closed and the lawn looked as though it had not been mowed in months. Y/N would have thought no one lived here anymore if it hadn’t been for Nolan’s beat up old Nissan sitting in front of the garage. Once upon a time Y/N had thought she had had something good here. How wrong she had been.  
Dean, having noticed Y/N’s hesitation, took her hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. It was his way of reminding her, he was there for her and that he would not be going anywhere. Of course he wasn’t. Dean would never allow her to walk back into the arms of her ex. He had suspected there was more to their breakup than just cheating when she had first shown up on his doorstep. That bastard will never hurt you again, Dean thought as he climbed out of the Impala to follow Y/N up to the front door.  
Y/N stood still in front of the door for several long moments, memories from the night she left flooding the forefront of her mind. Why had she agreed to this? What the hell had she been thinking when she thought she could handle being back here? Could she handle seeing Nolan again after everything that had happened? Would Dean figure out what she hadn’t told the brothers? Would Dean act on whatever he felt toward Nolan if he did find out? Did she care?  
Y/N took a deep breath to steady herself and knocked on the door before she could talk herself out of it. Dean’s presence behind her was comforting. He stood so close she could feel the heat radiating off of his body, his chest nearly pressed to her back as he towered over her. She felt safe with his nearness, his protectiveness. Nolan wasn’t going to hurt her with Dean so close.  
The door yanked open a moment later, Nolan’s imposing figure –though not nearly as imposing as Dean—filled the doorway. “Y/N,” Nolan whispered, suddenly pulling her against him in a bone crushing hug that had her flinching and desperate to get away.  
“Uh… hi, Nolan,” she greeted awkwardly, stepping back into Dean’s bubble. She desperately wanted Dean to touch her to chase away the chill of Nolan’s touch. It felt wrong to even hear his voice. What had she ever seen in this man? Y/N finally looked up, but could not look Nolan in the face. She could not meet those cold blue eyes, and instead chose to stare at a space over his shoulder.  
“It’s so good to see you,” Nolan murmured. “I have missed you… so much, Y/N. Thank you for coming; I don’t know what I would do without you.”  
An involuntary shiver ran down Y/N’s spine. She hadn’t missed him at all, but if he tried anything her aim wouldn’t miss either. she cleared her throat. “Yeah… of course.”  
Dean had spent the majority of his life reading people, picking up on the subtle twitches in and shifts of features with their emotions, the ticks they developed when they lied. Y/N had stepped out of Nolan’s arms the moment his arms slackened and right back against him her shoulders brushing his chest as she shifted. She refused to look the sandy haired man in the face as much as this jackass refused to acknowledge Dean’s presence. Y/N was uncomfortable and Dean wanted to drag her that miniscule amount closer to him, circle her in his arms and let her know she was safe, but he held himself back.  
What he did not like was the vibes he was getting from Y/N’s ex. For a man whose girlfriend had gone missing a month ago and apparently come back to haunt him, he was looking remarkably well. Nolan stood tall and looming in the doorway wHere his shoulders should be slumped. He was well dressed and clean shaven when most would have been less put together. He oozed an air of lethal dominance and his eyes were as cold and calculating as a killer’s, and the way he stared at Y/N expressed the desire he still held for her.  
A muscle in Dean’s jaw ticked as he clenched his teeth. No, he did not like this man at all, and he would not let him get his hands on Y/N again. Not if he could do anything about it. Nolan was just the man Dean had expected him to be. You’re not takin’ her from me, Dean thought with a glare over the top of Y/N’s head.  
“Excuse me… it’s just been so long since I’ve seen you. Come in,” Nolan said, not removing his eyes from Y/N as he stepped aside.  
Y/N hesitated for a moment. Nolan had hardly moved out of the way as he stared down at her expectantly. Put Sarah to rest and then you never have to see him again, she pep talked herself, sliding herself between Nolan and the doorway.  
What the hell? Dean thought, what did she see in this creep? His hands balled into fists at his sides as Y/N squeezed her way passed Nolan. The creep sunk his teeth into his lip as her body brushed against his and Dean noticed the slight lean to his frame as the man breathed in. Was the creep sniffing her hair? Dean’s growing anger nearly snapped its tight leash when Nolan tried to close the door in his face, but Dean’s hand caught it before he could.  
Nolan glared at Dean as he shoved his way into the house, closing the door behind him, and following Nolan and Y/N into the living room. Y/N shifted awkwardly beside the couch, clearly not wanting to sit down or even stay. Dean stepped around Nolan to stand at her side like a silent sentinel, making sure that he stood close enough to allow her shoulder to bush his chest whenever she shifted. Dean told himself it was to offer her comfort that she was not alone, but he knew he was doing it for himself, too.  
Y/N shifted against him and relaxed as her shoulder did exactly that. She knew Dean was reading the situation and wasn’t liking what he had already picked up. Had he yet to figure out what she’d kept from him and Sam? She didn’t think so, or he would have probably already shot Nolan between the eyes without remorse.  
“Oh…uh, Nolan… this is Dean. He’s here to help, too. Dean… this is Nolan,” Y/N introduced, turning her body into Dean’s. In all her nervousness, she had unintentionally forgotten to introduce Dean.  
Dean felt a spike of satisfaction when Y/N turned her body into his, pressing her side into him. He nearly grinned to himself, only allowing the corner of his mouth to curl up, allowing Nolan to see his pleased smirk. Dean would make it known to Nolan that he had no intention of letting him attempt to get her back because he wanted her, too, and Y/N clearly felt safer with him.  
Dean intentionally wrapped an arm around her and bodily moved Y/N against him, farther away from Nolan, and earning a small squeak of surprise. He did grin this time, bowing his body of hers as he leaned forward, stretching his other hand out for Nolan. Nolan reluctantly took his hand and flinched as Dean nearly broke it.  
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Dean said, releasing Nolan’s hand. “I’m sure you’re devastated. I would be if my girl had gone missing.” Dean pointedly allowed his eyes to shift to an unaware Y/N, who seemed oblivious in her discomfort to the showdown of male dominance.  
“Yeah… thanks man.” Nolan’s eyes shifted to Y/N. “She was something else.”  
Dean nearly growled, his anger spiking again. That had been intended to hurt and by the way Y/N cringed, it had. Low blow you cheating asshole, Dean thought. Oh how Dean wanted to hit this guy.  
“But it’s so good to see you again,” Nolan said, reaching out to slid his fingers along Y/N’s arm.  
Y/N couldn’t stop the flinch as she stepped back away from Nolan and pressed herself flush against Dean. “I’m just here to help. Sarah was once my friend,” Y/N said with a sad shake of her head. She was really beginning to regret coming here.  
“I’m sorry. For the way things ended—” Nolan began, but Dean cut him off.  
“Oh, I’m sure. Sorry that you got caught, that is.”  
“Dean.” Y/N warned through gritted teeth.  
“No, I deserved that,” Nolan conceded, staring directly into Y/N’s eyes. “It was a mistake.”  
“That’s one hell of a mistake,” Dean glared.  
“I was frustrated!” Nolan snapped. “I acted like an idiot when she told me she hunted the supernatural. Of course I was going to laugh. She sounded like a loon! And so we fought and she had been pulling away from me since.”  
“So you fuck her best friend on your anniversary?” Nolan had the decency to flinch.  
“Dean!” Y/N hissed.  
“Y/N, I never meant to hurt you,” said Nolan, fighting hard to catch her glaze again.  
“Never meant to—dude! You fucked her best friend and when she left, you turned right around and started dating her! Y/N was smart to leave and your mistake was my gain.”  
Y/N’s brows pulled together in confusion, but before she could question Dean as to exactly what he had meant by that, something down the hall banged. Nolan stiffened, Y/N’s and Dean’s heads snapping in the direction of the sound, their hunting instincts kicking in. Both made their way down the hall, searching the hall closet and both spare bedrooms before entering the master bedroom together. No one was hiding in the rooms and they came up empty handed.  
“When did you start seeing Sarah?” Y/N asked as she and Dean came back into the living room where Nolan had stayed.  
“About… a week and a half ago,” Nolan answered after a moment.  
“We need to find her body,” Y/N mumbled, turning to Dean.  
“Salt and burn,” Dean agreed.  
“Did you bring the salt?” she asked though she knew better.  
“Sweetheart, I always keep Baby stocked,” Dean said with a wink, causing her cheeks to fill with color.  
Nolan cleared his throat in annoyance. “Excuse me?”  
“Where was the last place you saw Sarah, before she went missing?” Y/N asked.  
“Uh… just before she left for work. She reminded me about our date night, kissed me goodbye, and left. It was just like any other Friday morning.”  
“We should scope the area,” Dean muttered.  
Y/N nodded in agreement. “Where was she working? Was there anyone there that didn’t like her for whatever reason?” Like another woman whose relationship she ruined, Y/N thought darkly.  
“Not… that I know of. Everyone at the pub loved Sarah.”  
“We should still check it out. Ask the other girls of there have been any suspicious patrons since and before Sarah went missing.” Again Y/N agreed. She and Dean moved to leave but Nolan jumped to his feet before they could make it out of the living room.  
“Wait! It’s late, why don’t you stay here for the night and go over tomorrow?” He suggested.  
Dean’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Now is the best time to go,” he said, glancing down at his watch for the time.  
“You’ve had a long drive, I’m sure you’re tired,” Nolan was not relenting.  
“We can get a room at a motel closer to the pub,” said Y/N. She didn’t want to stay a single night in this house.  
“You don’t know how long this might take you and two rooms at a motel can get expensive,” said Nolan.  
“That’s alright,” Dean said with a shrug of his shoulders. “Y/N and I can share a room again, can’t we sweetheart?” Dean wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze, knowing full well the implications he had given.  
“Why spend any money at all when you can stay here for free? Besides, Sarah doesn’t usually show herself until some time between two and three in the morning,” Nolan said through his teeth.  
Y/N sighed, they weren’t getting anywhere with this and to be honest, she was tired after the long drive up here. “Fine, Nolan. We’ll stay here.”  
“Y/N—” Dean attempted to protest.  
“It’s alright, Dean,” she interrupted.  
Nolan’s smile was all together perverse and set Dean on edge. He didn’t doubt the bastard might try something on Y/N while he wasn’t looking. Dean grudgingly agreed to stay, storming out of the house with Y/N in tow. He wasn’t leaving her alone with Nolan. When they’d grabbed their bags and headed back in, Nolan showed them down the hall and, to keep them apart, offered them each one of the spare rooms.  
Y/N grimaced when Nolan gave her the room closest to his. She preferred to be as far away from the master bedroom as she could possibly be. She didn’t want anymore reminders of the night she’d caught Nolan and Sarah together. Not getting away from that staying here, she thought to herself as she got ready for bed.  
As she was getting ready, Nolan said a quick goodnight, a strange look upon his face, before he rushed down the hall and locked himself within his room. Y/N stared at her closed door unsettled by Nolan’s odd behavior. Already she felt agreeing to stay was a mistake.  
“Dammit,” she muttered, dumping the contents of her bag onto her mattress and finding that she had somehow forgotten to pack her pajamas. A cold chill ran down her spine as she considered staying the night in this room by herself, her eyes roaming back to the door to notice that she couldn’t even lock it to feel safer.  
I can’t do this, she thought as she stuffed her belongings back into her bag. Carefully she opened the door to her room as to not alert Nolan to her movement, and tiptoed down the hall to the room Dean occupied. Just as quietly, she twisted the handle and pushed the door open, slipping into the room, and closing the door behind her. When she turned around Dean was standing at the foot of his bed, shirtless, lowering the gun he had drawn out of habit.  
“Can I stay with you?” She mumbled in embarrassment, not at all fazed by the gun that had been pointed at her chest only a moment ago. She would have done the same thing if roles had been reversed.  
“Always,” Dean said, unabashed. He could only dare to believe she understood the double meaning to the word.  
“Can I…” Y/N cleared her throat, her cheeks turning a soft pink. “Also borrow something to sleep in? I… sorta forgot to pack my pajamas…”  
“Of course,” Dean said, tossing her the shirt clutched in his other hand.  
Y/N set her bag down on the end of the bed and Dean promptly turned away to allow her some privacy to change. He set about freeing himself from his jeans in an attempt to keep his thoughts from wondering to the fact that Y/N was stripping behind him.  
Her eyes drank in the strong muscles of Dean’s back, from the muscular curve of his wide shoulders and strong arms to the elegant line of his spine. She wasn’t sure there was anything about Dean Winchester that wasn’t stunningly gorgeous. Y/N guilty tore her eyes away from Dean’s skin to quickly change when he woke her from her thoughts, asking if she was changed yet. It did not go unnoticed to her that Dean had given her the t-shirt he had been wearing under his flannel.  
When she gave him the okay Dean turned around slowly, only to find no amount of preparation could prepare him for the sight of Y/N in his shirt. She stood nonchalantly at the foot of the bed, folding her clothes and tucking them into her bag, and then placing her bag on the floor.  
Dean’s head tipped to the right to catch a glimpse of the curve of her ass as she bent over, his tongue sweeping over his bottom lip. Damn, he thought, she’s sexy as hell in my shirt. He nearly groaned aloud when she came to her full height, tugging nervously at the hem of his shirt were it lay not even halfway down her creamy thighs.  
“What side do you want?” she asked timidly, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.  
Dean opened his mouth to answer, but his voice caught in his throat. Fuck.  
“Dean?” She called.  
He cleared his throat. “Yeah, sorry. Take whatever side you want.”  
Y/N nodded, pulling the covers back on the right side of the bed and made to crawl in when a loud knock sounded rapidly against Dean’s door. The two exchanged curious looks, Dean taking up his gun again and answering the door only to find Nolan.  
Dean cocked his head to the side, staring at Nolan in annoyance. “There a problem?”  
“Have you seen Y/N?” Nolan blurted, ringing his hands.  
Y/N peeked her head under Dean’s arm where it rest against the door, keeping Nolan from seeing inside. Unconsciously she laid her small hand against the bare skin of Dean’s ribs, tucking herself against his side in the small space left open between him and the door.  
“Nolan? Is something wrong?” Y/N asked, wondering if maybe Sarah had made an appearance.  
Nolan’s eyes shifted to Dean, who had answered the door in only a pair of dark boxers, back to Y/N who was standing pressed against Dean in nothing but one of his shirts. Dean smirked smugly at Nolan when his eyes shifted back to him brusquely as he stared open-mouthed between the two.  
“Well…” Nolan began after a few moments of awkward silence. “If you wanted to crawl into bed with someone all you had to do was ask. For old times sake, of course, she was never a very good lay.”  
Y/N stared at Nolan, mouth gaping, tears pricking the back of her eyes, and Dean felt his anger quickly rising. What the fuck was this dude’s problem? His girlfriend is obviously dead if she was haunting his ass and here he was harassing his ex-girlfriend whom he had asked for help. Dean had no doubt Y/N was a total knock out and Nolan wouldn’t know what good sex was if it bit him on the ass.  
Dean wrapped the arm that rest against the door around Y/N’s waist, glaring darkly at Nolan. “Dude, what the fuck is your—”  
However, Y/N cut him off, throwing her tiny fist into Nolan’s face. “Goodnight, Nolan.” She hissed through her teeth, taking hold of Dean’s hand resting over her stomach and leading him back into the room, slamming the door closed behind them. Though she had lead Dean back to the bed she waited for him to climb in and get comfortable before she climbed in herself.  
“Come here,” Dean mumbled when he noticed Y/N still trembling in anger. She turned her head to him, eyebrow raised in question. Dean only motioned her to him, pulling the covers up to allow her to scoot closer without getting herself tangled in the sheets. As if I would complain if we ended up tangled in the sheets, Dean thought absently.  
When she didn’t move Dean smirked. “Don’t make me come to you, sweetheart.”  
She rolled her eyes, unable to hide her smile as she scooted closer to him. The moment she was close enough Dean wrapped his arm around her and dragged her body flush against his. Y/N made a tiny noise of surprise but otherwise did not complain, Dean’s chest filling with warmth and affection as she settled against him as though this wasn’t the first time they snuggled. Without her say so Y/N’s arm slinked across Dean’s chest, fingers dragging lazily over his skin only to hang limply against his ribs, one of her legs shifting to twine with his.  
Dean inhaled deeply, breathing in the smell of her. When she settled completely again him his arm anchored around her waist, fingers splayed over her hip. Oh how he could definitely get used to this. Dean smiled contentedly, a sigh ruffling the top of Y/N’s hair.  
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, breaking the contented silence that had filled the room.  
“Sorry for what?”  
“For making a scene. I’m a hunter, I should be able to control myself better.”  
Dean frowned, rubbing his fingers in small soothing circles against her hip. “I would have hit him harder, sweetheart.”  
“He was an asshole even when we were together. As if the cheating wasn’t enough, he was abusive, too.”  
Dean’s body stiffened under hers and she twined herself with him just a little more. Her fingers traced shapeless patterns against his ribs as she tipped her head up, pressing her lips to the underside of his jaw. Dean relaxed simultaneously.  
Though she had gotten him to relax, his tone was still dark. “He hit you?”  
“Yes,” she whispered. “The night I caught him cheating. I packed my things as quickly as I could and he grabbed me as I tried to leave. He backhanded me, told me I wasn’t allowed to leave, and left a bruise in the shape of his hand around my arm. Sarah pulled him off me before things could escalate.”  
“If he so much as touches you again… I’m goin’ to kill him,” Dean growled. It was a promise.  
“I’ll kill him myself,” Y/N said with a laugh as the two snuggled closer, settling in for some sleep until Nolan woke them or Sarah made an appearance.  
Y/N woke an undetermined amount of time later to a tugging at the sheets. Groggily she registered that it was still dark out and that it was probably only Dean stealing the sheets. She smiled sleepily to herself, snuggling against the warmth of Dean’s skin and started to drift off again. Another tug at the sheets cause her brow to wrinkle in slight annoyance, was Dean the type to steal all the covers in his sleep? Another tug at the sheets, more solid and almost violent, ripped the sheets clean off their bodies.  
Y/N’s eyes shot open in surprise. She would have bolted upright if not for Dean’s arm anchoring her to him, but the jerk of her body against his had Dean waking as well. He groaned tiredly, his arm coiling tighter around Y/N’s waist.  
“Dean,” Y/N whispered.  
“What? What’s the matter?” He mumbled groggily. A part of Dean’s sleep hazy mind registered that Y/N’s body was pressed warmly against his own and that he hadn’t dreamed of snuggling with the woman before bed. She was pressed against his side in only his t-shirt and a pair of panties and it was real.  
“Sarah.” Her hand shifted against his side to splay against his chest, shaking him as if she wished to wake him. The two sat up slowly.  
Before Dean could ask whom this Sarah person was, his eyes focused on the woman standing at the foot of their bed. At first glace she was quiet pretty, but then to dark splotches across her skin came into clarity. Bruises littered the parts of her face, neck, and arms that were visible, her lips were crudely sown shut, blood trickling down her chin from the points the needle had pierced her skin. Her eyes were ringed red and puffy, one swollen like she had been hit. The bruises around her neck perfect impressions of someone’s hands. Her wrists were chaffed and bleeding indicating that she had been tired up in some way and fought against her bonds.  
“Sarah?” Y/N’s voice trembled as she called out to the ghost of her old friend. What had happened to her? Who did this to her? No matter what Sarah had done it still made Y/N sick to her stomach to think that she had been tortured before she died. How long had she been made to suffer?  
Sarah’s eyes spilled over with tears and she brought a hand up to touch her lips as though she wished she could speak. Y/N felt tears sting at the backs of her own eyes. Sarah’s head hung, only for a moment, before she was back to trying to get their attention, her hands frantically motioning at Y/N and than to the wall of the bedroom.  
Dean and Y/N stared at Sarah in confusion. It was obvious she was trying to tell them something but what? The longer they stared to more frantic Sarah’s motions became. She was desperate to tell them something. And then something clicked in Dean’s head, his mind running over the layout of the house before he left his suspicions surface.  
“Nolan?” he asked.  
Sarah pointed at Dean, nodding her head frantically.  
“Nolan?” Y/N echoed in a tone that was not all together surprised.  
Sarah nodded less frantically, eyes meeting Y/N’s as she touched the hand print bruises ringed around her neck.  
“Nolan did this to you?” Dean asked for confirmation, he wrapped his arm back around Y/N as a sob bubbled up. Dean closed his eyes with a shake of his head. He had known something wasn’t right about that asshole of an ex, but he didn’t realize how bad the fucker was. And Y/N had tried to talk him into letting her come alone?  
“Can you show us where your body is?” Dean asked, ushering Y/N out of the bed and tugging on a pair of jeans. Dean pulled on his flannel as Sarah lead the way out of the bedroom, not bothering to button it as he pressed a comforting hand to Y/N’s lower back. They followed Sarah’s ghost down the hall and into the living room. When they thought she would lead them out the front door Sarah turned toward the back of the house, and headed right for the door to the basement.  
Y/N felt a lump forming in her throat that she couldn’t swallow past. Nolan had killed Sarah, and he had kept her in the basement? Y/N’s head reeled as thought after thought ran rapid through her head.  
Dean clocked over their shoulders as he pulled open the door to the basement to make sure that Nolan had not been alerted to their movement, his own thoughts racing frantically. Sarah needed to be put to rest or her ghost would be stuck wondering this horrible house for all eternity. They could salt and burn the body, putting Sarah to rest and then call the cops to frame Nolan for the murder of his girlfriend. But Dean wanted so much to beat the shit out of the bastard. Dean wasn’t stupid. The moment he realized Nolan had killed Sarah he had realized that that must have been the reason he had called Y/N to him, too. He wanted to hurt Y/N. Over my dead body, Dean thought darkly.  
Y/N absentmindedly reached for the drawstring to click on the light at the bottom of the stairs, tentatively stepping down onto the cement flooring as light flooded the underground room.  
“No!” Y/N gasped the moment their eyes adjusted to the light, hands flying up to cover her mouth as tears spilled over her cheeks.  
Dean cursed, pulling her into his arms and pressing her face against his chest. On the far side of the room, naked and chained to the wall with her hands cuffed above her head, was Sarah’s lifeless body. Y/N sobbed brokenly against his chest, Dean could feel the hot rush of her tears against his bare skin and his blood boiled all the more. The bastard had chained up Sarah, used her for his own enjoyment, and beat her when he wasn’t getting off. Hell, Dean wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d beat her while he was getting off, too. What a suck fuck.  
“Sarah…” the whimper of her old friend’s name was heart wrenching, Dean clenched his teeth at the sound.  
“He’ll pay for this, Y/N, do you hear me? I won’t let him get away with it. Nor for thinking he could lure you into his trap,” Dean growled.  
The cocking of a pistol sounded behind them then, and Dean and Y/N both stiffened.  
“Well… admittedly I hadn’t expected Sarah to lead you down here… I thought I would have to drug Y/N and drag her down here myself. Of course, I didn’t think she would bring her fuck buddy with her either.” Nolan hissed from two steps behind them.  
Dean stiffened, he’d been so preoccupied with finding Sarah’s body and keeping Y/N calm while he tried to figure out what to do about Nolan that he hadn’t heard the man creep up behind them.  
“How could you?” Y/N accused her voice now cold. She and Dean came off the stairs to face Nolan, Dean keeping her behind him in cause Nolan came at them.  
“It is a shame I had to kill her,” Nolan sighed then shrugged his shoulders. “But she wasn’t quick enough at getting me off before you showed up… you just had to come home early, didn’t you? We could have been happy together, you never had to know about Sarah and I fucking and we could have been happy.”  
Dean snorted. “Women always find out when you’re being dishonest.”  
“You know what, stay out of this, Winchester. This has nothing to do with you. You shouldn’t even be here!” Nolan barked.  
“Like I would have let Y/N come here alone? C’mon dude, do you really think I’m that stupid?” Dean shook his head like he was talking to an irate teenager. “Do you know where she went after she found you fucking her friend? She came right to me. Because she knew that, my brother and I would take care of her. I have everything to do with this because Y/N is my girl. You might think you had her first, but I’ve been in love with her far longer than you’ve known her.”  
“Dean…” Y/N’s voice was soft as she pressed her hand against his shoulder, trying to catch his eye but he refused to take his eyes off Nolan. This was not the way he had hoped to tell her about his feelings, not nearly as romantic as he had hoped for, but he wanted to work Nolan up to doing something stupid. If he could get Nolan worked up it would be easier to take him down.  
“Don’t make me laugh,” Nolan sneered. “You didn’t want her until she was damaged goods. I doubt you even care for her. Not once did you come to see her while she was with me. You hardly called, unless it was for ‘work’.”  
“I never came around because I would have killed you for taking her from me,” Dean’s voice was deadly calm as he spoke, and it unsettled Y/N. “But I’m here now and don’t think I wouldn’t enjoy putting a bullet between your eyes.”  
“I doubt that very much.” Nolan rolled his eyes, coming down the stairs with his gun aimed at Dean’s chest.  
“Oh, but don’t worry,” Dean mocked, stepping back to wrap and arm around Y/N’s waist, pressing one of his bow legs between hers so that she was nearly straddling his thigh. “When we’re done here I’ll show her what a real lover looks like. I assure you, she won’t be faking it with me.”  
Y/N gasped her face flushing. She had told Dean that in confidence!  
“He’ll never be as good as me, Y/N! You will never find better than me!” Nolan roared.  
Dean shuddered as though disgusted. “Of course she won’t find anything like you. She’s found better and there won’t be anyone else after me.”  
In his fury, Nolan came even closer to them and as soon as he was within reach, Dean struck. The gun still aimed at his chest, Dean grabbed the barrel of the gun with one hand and shoved Nolan’s hand away with the other, effectively yanking the gun out of his possession. Dean turned the gun and Nolan and cocked it, ready to shoot the bastard the moment he so much as blinked.  
Sarah’s ghost hovered quietly behind Nolan, tears spilling over her cheeks as she watched on, meeting Y/N’s own tear filled eyes.  
“How could you?” Marie nearly whispered, glaring at Nolan through her tears.  
“Because she interfered! Because of her you got away!” Nolan snarled. “Oh… but don’t you worry… I kept her barely alive so she was still warm when I fucked her.” The twisted grin that curled the corners of Nolan’s mouth made Y/N sick to her stomach.  
“I’ve had enough outta you,” Dean growled and pulled the trigger. “I will always take care of her.”  
Nolan’s body fell lifeless to the floor. Dean had shot him in the temple with the intention of cleaning his prints from the gun and leaving it in Nolan’s hand to be found by the authorities. When he was found, it would look like the sick bastard had killed himself after no longer being able to cope with having killed his girlfriend.  
When Nolan’s body hit the ground with a dull thud, Sarah came forward her fingers brushing Y/N’s cheek in a feather light touch. Peace filled her battered features and she gave the best soft of smile one could manage with their mouth stitched shut before she turned and disappeared into the light.  
Y/N dropped to her knees in tears, her cries like a knife twisting in Dean’s gut, heartbreak forming a lump in his throat because no amount of comfort would ease her pain. Dean gave her time to grieve for everything that had happened. Her ex cheating on her with her dear friend, the abuse, Sarah’s death, finding her body, knowing Sarah had been tortured because of her, knowing that it had all been Nolan.  
Everything.  
Dean packed all their things into the Impala, cleaned up any trace of them having been there, and then came back down to the basement to collect Y/N.  
“Shhh,” he cooed softly in her ear as he picked her up, one arm supporting her back, the other wrapped under her bare thighs. “I got cha, baby. I’m here.”  
Y/N clung to Dean as he carried her out of the house and to the Impala. Once in the car she laid her head against Dean’s thigh as he revved the engine and pulled away from the house, threading the fingers of his right hand through her hair. Despite everything that had happened, Dean had meant what he said. He would always take care of Y/N, because he loved her.  
Too tired to make the drive back to the bunker, Dean pulled off the road a few hours later into the parking lot of a small motel. Y/N had fallen asleep and he slipped quietly out of the Impala to grab a room for the two of them.  
With room key in hand, Dean woke Y/N. “Come here, baby.” His voice was gentle, his skin warm against hers as he carried her to their room. It was far too early in the morning to be worried about anyone seeing her in so little. Dean kicked the door shut behind them, set Y/N down on the bed, and went back to bolt the door to make sure they would not be disturbed.  
Y/N curled into him as soon as he’s boots were off and he laid back on the soft mattress, but it wasn’t enough. She needed to feel him. Skin to skin. Determined, she sat up and yanked Dean’s t-shirt over her head and busied herself with unbuttoning his flannel.  
Dean’s big hands cupped hers before she could finish. “Baby, what are you doin’?”  
“I want to feel you,” she murmured.  
Dean rolled them so that she lay beneath him in only her panties, his flannel hanging half open as he hovered over her. “I promise we have all the time in the word for that,” he said with a cute little half smile. “But right now I need to take care of you. You’ve been through so much, baby.”  
“Dean…” her voice was pleading.  
Dean wanted to give in, but he couldn’t. He cared too much, loved her too much to take advantage. “No, baby. Not tonight. But I promise you… in time I will make you scream for me until your voice is gone. Just let me hold you tonight.”  
Y/N pouted up at him but let him roll to the side. Dean yanked his flannel up over his head, not bothering with the buttons and settled back down with Y/N against his side.  
“Did you mean it? What you said back in the basement,” she asked timidly.  
“Every word,” Dean said without hesitation. He didn’t need clarification to know what she was asking him.  
Y/N shifted to look up at Dean, her cheeks flushed and lip drawn between her teeth. “You love me?”  
“I mean, I did just turn down sex with this gorgeous girl,” Dean said with a teasing smile.  
“Dean!” Y/N giggled with a roll of her eyes. When her giggles subsided her smile did not fade, her eyes filled with affection. She leaned forward and kissed him, soft and sweet, and pulled back slowly, her eyes seeking his out when they fluttered open. “I love you, too.”


End file.
